18

Welcome back to Baseball by the Numbers. Today we are looking at uniform number 18. 863 players have worn uniform number 18 at some point in their career, but only about 11% (97 players) kept the number 18 for five years or more. There was one Legend (100+ WAR) who wore 18 for seven seasons. Joe Morgan was already featured in the uniform number 8 post, but he’s well deserving of another featured spot. Aside from Morgan, twenty-seven other players who wore 18 also had a career WAR of 40 plus, and as always here are my top picks.

The Legend

For twenty-two seasons, Joe Morgan played perhaps some of the best baseball ever seen at second base. From 1963 to 1984, Morgan played on five teams. Morgan started his career with the Houston Colt .45s. He wore uniform number 12 for eight games in 1963. The next season he played 10 games and wore number 35. By 1965, the Colt .45s became the Houston Astros and Morgan, now wearing number 18, broke out, placing second in ROY voting. He would keep the number 18 for the rest of his tenure with Houston (1965-1971), before switching to uniform number 8 after his trade to the Reds. After seven seasons with the Reds, he was back with the Astros for one season in 1980, then went to the San Francisco Giants (2 yrs), Philadelphia Phillies (1 yrs) and finished his career with one final season on the Oakland Athletics. He wore uniform number 18 for seven seasons and had a career WAR of 100.6 good for thirty-first all-time.

Morgan was a ten-time All-Star who won the National League MVP award twice (75, 76), both times with the Reds. In 1975, he led the league in season WAR (11), walks (132), OBP (.466), and OPS (.974) while hitting .327 with 67 stolen bases and winning the Gold Glove Award. In 1976, Morgan led the league in WAR (9.6) OBP (.444), SLG (.576), OPS (1.020) and sacrifice flies with 12.

He won five Gold Glove Awards and was a Silver Slugger in 1982. Morgan was known for his speed, stealing over 40 bases in nine different seasons (with 60 or more three times). He was a tough player to strike out too, with 77 strikeouts being the most in any season. He also led the league in walks four separate times.

As a member of the “Big Red Machine”, Morgan was a two-time World Series Champion in 1975 and 1976 (his two MVP seasons) while playing alongside Pete Rose, Johnny Bench and Tony Perez with Sparky Anderson as the manager.

He retired after the 1984 season with a .271 career batting average, 2,517 hits, 449 doubles, 268 home runs, 1,133 RBIs, 689 stolen bases (11th all-time), and 1,865 walks (5th all-time). For second basemen, he is 4th all-time with 5,742 putouts, 3rd in assists with 6,967 and 6th in double plays with 1,505.

Morgan is a member of both the Houston Astros and the Cincinnati Reds Hall of fame with the Reds retiring his uniform number 8 in 1998.

He was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1990.

Joe Morgan passed away at the age of 77 in 2020.

Number 1:

As a kid I followed several players, most of them with the Red Sox, but others were based on card collecting, watching baseball highlights on This Week in Baseball and reading The Sporting News. Bret Saberhagen was one player that I loved collecting. He was a right-handed pitcher who played for sixteen years (1984-2001) for four teams. He started out on the Royals (1984-1991) until he was traded in 1991 to the Mets for a couple of players including Gregg Jefferies (a legend from my youth). He stayed with the Mets until 1995. He then played one season (1995) with the Colorado Rockies, before finishing his career with my team, the Boston Red Sox (1997-1999, 2001). He wore uniform number 18 for seven seasons and had a career WAR of 58.9.

Saberhagen was only 19 when he started his Major League career with the Royals. Despite his youth, he had a good first season going 10-11 with a 3.48 ERA and 73 strikeouts. In 1985, only his second season, he would win the first of two Cy Young Awards going 20-6 with a 2.87 ERA, and he led the Kansas City Royals to their first World Series title. He would win the World Series MVP Award in 1985, going 2-0 with a 0.50 ERA, with two complete games in Games 3 and 7. He allowed just one run, 11 hits, and one walk over 18 innings, and pitched a shutout in the deciding Game 7.  Saberhagen won his second Cy Young in 1989 when he led the league in wins (23), ERA (2.16), season WAR (9.7), innings (262.1), complete games (12) and ERA plus (180) while also winning a Gold Glove. He was a three-time All-Star and pitched a no-hitter in August of 1991.

Bret Saberhagen retired in 2001 after pitching only 3 games for the Red Sox that season. He had a career record of 167-117 (.588 W/L%) 3.34 ERA, 1.14 WHIP, 1,715 strikeouts in 2,562 innings with 76 complete games and 16 shutouts.

He is a member of the Kansas City Royals Hall of Fame.

Number 2:

Johnny Damon played outfield for eighteen seasons from 1995-2012 for seven different teams. Damon was known for his speed and found himself primarily batting in the leadoff spot. He started his career with the Kansas City Royals (1995-2000). He spent 2001 with Oakland Athletics, then joined the Boston Red Sox where his scrappy play and personality fit in well with the “The Idiots” (2002-2005). He defected to the rival New York Yankees (2006-2009), then jumped around a bit to finish his career with the Detroit Tigers (2010), Tampa Bay Rays (2011) and the Cleveland Indians (2012). He wore uniform number 18 for fourteen seasons and had a career WAR of 56.3.

Damon was a two-time All-Star. He had over 25 stolen bases in ten seasons, leading the league in 2000 with 46. He also had over 100 runs in ten seasons. Damon had one of his best seasons in 2004 with the Red Sox, batting .304 with 123 runs, 35 doubles, 20 home runs, 94 RBI and 19 stolen bases. That season he played a role in breaking “the Curse” with the Red Sox winning their first World Series in 86 years. Damon was also a member of the 2009 World Series Champion Yankees.

After 2012, Damon never played another game. He tried unsuccessfully to get signed up until 2015. Damon finished his career with a .284 batting average, .352 OBP, 2769 hits, 1668 runs (32^nd all-time), 522 doubles (50^th all-time), 47 triples, 235 home runs, 1139 RBIs and 408 stolen bases.

He is a member of the Boston Red Sox Hall of Fame.

Number 3:

Tony Phillips played for eighteen seasons from 1982 through 1999. He was a utility player who bounced around the league, playing for six teams in his career. Phillips started his career with the Oakland Athletics (1982-1989), then signed with the Detroit Tigers (1990-1994) who traded him to the Angels (1995). He would bounce around after that playing for the White Sox (1996-1997), Angels again (1997), Blue Jays and Mets (1998), and ending where it all started, with Oakland again (1999). Phillips wore uniform number 18 for five seasons while with Oakland from 1982 to 1986 and had a career WAR of 50.9.

I remember Phillips most with Oakland and the Tigers. I loved the 1984 Topps and even though it does not show his number, he wore 18 during the 1984 season, so it fit well for the post.

Phillips was a utility player extraordinaire. He never made an All-Star team, but he did lead the league in runs once and walks twice. In 1986, he became the first member of the Oakland Athletics to hit for the cycle. He was a member of the 1989 Oakland Athletics World Series Championship team during the “Earthquake Series” which I remember watching. Oakland was stacked with players and featured the GOAT Rickey Henderson, the Bash Brothers (Jose Canseco and Mark McGwire), pitchers Dave Stewart and Bob Welch and closer Dennis Eckersley.

Phillips played his last game in 1999. He finished his career with 1,319 walks (48^th all-time). He had a .266 batting average with 2023 hits, 1300 runs, 360 doubles, 160 home runs, 177 stolen bases and 819 RBIs. He also had a .374 OBP.

Phillips passed away in 2016 at the young age of 56 years old.

Number 4:

One of the top catchers of his era, Gene Tenace played for fifteen seasons from 1969-1983. Tenace started his career with the Oakland Athletics (1969-1976) moved on to the San Diego Padres (1977-1980), then played two seasons with the St. Louis Cardinals (1981-1982) and finished his career with the Pirates (1983). Tenace had a career WAR of 46.8 and wore uniform number 18 for eleven seasons.

Tenace was an All-Star in 1975 and has a whopping 6 World Series rings. He was a member of the Oakland Athletics World Series Championship dynasty that won three straight rings (1972-1974) along with Reggie Jackson, Catfish Hunter and Rollie Fingers. Tenace was the World Series MVP in 1972 when he batted .348 with 4 runs, 4 home runs, 9 RBI, .400 OBP, .913 SLG and an OPS of 1.313. He was also a member of the 1982 Cardinals win with Jim Kaat, Bruce Sutter and Ozzie Smith. In 1992 and 1993, Tenace was a coach for the Blue Jays Championships.

He retired after the 1983 season with a career batting average of .241 with 1,060 hits, 201 home runs, 674 RBIs and a .388 OBP.

Tenace is a member of the Athletics Hall Of Fame.

Number 5:

Switch-hitting, super utility player Ben Zobrist spent fourteen seasons in the Majors playing for four teams. He started his career with the Tampa Bay Rays (2006-2014). He was traded to the Oakland A’s in 2015 and stayed with them for only 67 games before being traded to the Kansas City Royals. He then moved on to the Chicago Cubs (2016-2019). He has a career WAR of 44.7 and wore uniform number 18 for his entire fourteen seasons.

During his career, Zobrist played second base, shortstop, all three outfield positions and even spent a little time at first and third. He was known as a versatile defender who could also get on base. A three-time All-Star, Zobrist had his best season in 2009 when he led the league in season WAR (8.6) and batted .297 with 27 home runs, 91 RBIs, 17 stolen bases, and a .405 OBP. He had 20 home runs or more in 3 seasons, had over 30 doubles 6 times, and walked over 90 times in four seasons. In 2011, he had 8 RBIs in one game, a Tampa Bay record. Zobrist is a two-time World Series Champion, winning a ring with the Kansas City Royals in 2015 and with the Chicago Cubs in 2016. The Cubs won for the first time in 108 years and Zobrist, who batted .357 with 10 hits, two doubles, a triple, 5 runs, 2 RBI, 4 walks and a .419 OBP, was named the World Series MVP.

Zobrist retired after the 2019 seasons. He had a career batting average of .266 with 1,566 hits, 884 runs, 349 doubles, 44 triples, 167 homeruns, 768 RBIs and a .357 OBP.

Number 6:

Known as Chief, Mel Harder was a right-handed pitcher who played for 20 years exclusively with the Cleveland Indians from 1928 to 1947. Red Farber, Walter Johnson, Ted Lyons and Mel Harder are the only pitchers to have played for twenty seasons with one team.  He was also a pitching coach (1948-1963) and managed a few games in 1961 and 1962 for Cleveland, spending 36 years total with the franchise. He would spend an additional six years coaching various teams before leaving baseball after 42 years. Harder had a career WAR of 44.3 and wore uniform number 18 for eighteen seasons.

Harder was a four-time All-Star who was considered one of the most difficult pitchers to face in his day. He led the league in ERA in 1933. He was a member of the 1948 Cleveland World Series Championship team that included six Hall of Famers; Lou Boudreau, Bob Feller, Joe Gordon, Bob Lemon, Satchel Paige and Larry Doby.

Harder’s last season was 1947. He finished his career with 223 wins to 186 losses, good for a .545 W/L%. He had a 3.80 ERA, 1.408 WHIP and 1,161 strikeouts in 3,426 innings to go along with 181 complete games and 24 shutouts. He also had 24 saves.

Chief is a member of the Cleveland Guardians Hall of Fame, and his number 18 was retired by Cleveland in 1990.

Mel Harder passed away in 2002 at the age of 93 years old.

Number 7:

One of the things I love about writing these posts is nostalgia, and nothing brings it out more than writing about players from my youth. Strawberry is one of those players I will always remember. The “Straw Man” was a favorite player to my best friend growing up, and an enemy to Red Sox fans. He played right field for seventeen seasons from 1983-1999. Mostly known for his eight seasons on the New York Mets (1983-1990), who selected him with the first pick in the 1980 draft, Strawberry also played for the Dodgers (1991-1993), San Francisco Giants (1994) and the New York Yankees (1995-1999). Strawberry had a career WAR of 42.1 and wore uniform number 18 for all eight seasons he played with the Mets.

Strawberry made an immediate impact his rookie season with 26 home runs, 74 RBI and 19 stolen bases and winning the 1983 ROY Award. The next season he would become an All-Star for the first time. Strawberry would make 8 consecutive All-Star appearances and win two Silver Slugger awards. He had over 25 home runs in his first nine seasons, leading the league with 39 in 1988. He also had over 100 RBIs twice, over 100 runs twice and stole over 25 bases in five seasons. He joined the 30-30 club in 1987 with 39 home runs and 36 stolen bases. He was a member of 3 World Series Championships; in 1986, when the Mets beat the Red Sox (booo!), then in 1996 and 1999 with the Yankees.

Sadly, Strawberry’s career was shortened due to personal issues, injuries and addiction. From 1992 to 1999 he only played 100 games once. He was missing practices and games and was suspended for cocaine use while also dealing with colon cancer. By 2000, he was once again suspended for drug use and never played again.

Strawberry finished his career with a .259 batting average with 1,401 hits, 898 runs, 256 doubles, 335 home runs, 1000 RBIs and 221 stolen bases.

For years Strawberry struggled with addiction issues and legal problems. He went to rehab and found solace in his Christian faith, becoming an ordained minister. Strawberry has been sober for over 20 years and has dedicated his life to helping others through the sharing of his story.

He was entered into the New York Mets Hall of Fame, and his uniform number 18 was retired by the Mets in 2024.

Final Score:

Uniform number 18 had several players with an over 40 WAR wear it for 1 season. Red Ruffing, Keith Hernandez and Minnie Minoso are all players who I have featured in prior posts, and each wore uniform number 18 for 1 season. Red Faber (White Sox 31, 33), Willie Randolph (Pirates 75),  Andrew Jones (Yankees 2011) and Dazzy Vance (Cardinals 33) all wore number 18 as well.

Thank you for reading and if you’re enjoying this content hit a like, subscribe or shoot me a comment. Next up is uniform number 19!

Sources:

https://www.baseball-almanac.com

https://www.baseball-reference.com

“Oakland Athletics 8, Baltimore Orioles 4”. Retrosheet. May 16, 1986.

Markoe, Lauren “Darryl Strawberry goes from ballfield to pulpit”. The State Journal-Register. (July 27, 2013)

https://www.sabr.org

Shout out to all the cool cards and creative commons for my pictures! Thanks Topps and Fleer and Donruss and Upper Deck and all the rest.